Photo: Erik Drost / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Unmodified photograph. License.
Odell Beckham Jr. joined the Minnesota Vikings’ active roster on November 9, 2026, continuing a career that began more than a decade earlier with the New York Giants. The move brought a particular family connection with it: his mother, Heather Van Norman, was a celebrated high school track athlete in Minnesota before becoming an LSU All-American.
Beckham’s parents are Van Norman and Odell Beckham Sr. Both competed at Louisiana State University, where she ran track and he played running back. Their son later attended the same university, adding another generation to a family already closely associated with its athletic programs.
Their achievements are more specific than the familiar description of an athlete coming from a sporting family. His mother helped LSU win national championships, while his father spent four seasons with the football team. Beckham grew up with direct access to people who understood training, competition and the demands of college sport.
So, who are Odell Beckham Jr.’s parents? Here is what to know about their separate careers, their LSU connection and the wider family that supported their son’s path to professional football.
Who is Heather Van Norman, Beckham’s mother?
Van Norman developed her reputation as a sprinter at Windom High School in Minnesota before competing at LSU. Her college record made her one of the university’s accomplished track athletes, rather than simply the parent of a future NFL player.
LSU’s official biography of Beckham credits her with six All-American honors. During her time with the program from 1991 through 1993, she helped the women’s team win five national championships, including indoor and outdoor titles. In 1993, she was part of three national championship relay teams.
That background gave her expertise in speed, movement and athletic preparation. Beckham has publicly credited his mother when discussing his physical gifts, and reporting during his college career described her helping with the mechanics of running. Her influence was grounded in experience she had earned through her own competition.
After her competitive career, Van Norman worked in coaching. She became head coach of the track and field and cross-country programs at Nicholls State University. That is a historical position in her career and should not automatically be described as her current job without checking the university’s latest staff information.
Her public comments about her son have also extended beyond performance. In a Ravens feature, she described the happiness he found in becoming a father to Zydn. The observation offered a view of Beckham from someone who knew him well before his football fame.
Who is Odell Beckham Sr., and how did LSU connect the family?
Beckham Sr. played running back for LSU from 1989 to 1992. The university’s records list 28 appearances, including nine starts, with 757 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. His own college experience preceded his son’s arrival with the Tigers.
He and Van Norman met while attending LSU. Their son was born on November 5, 1992, and spent his earliest years around their athletic environment. Accounts of that period describe a child surrounded by training, practices and the college sports community.
The parents later separated. Van Norman subsequently married Derek Mills, a former Olympic sprinter, who became Beckham’s stepfather. Their relationship histories should be kept separate: Van Norman and Beckham Sr. are the receiver’s parents, while Mills is his stepfather.
Beckham Jr. attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans before choosing LSU. His decision continued a family connection with the university, but he made his own name as a receiver and returner rather than duplicating his father’s position at running back.
His college success led to selection by the Giants in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. By then, both parents had already contributed to his understanding of competitive sport. Their influence belongs in the story without treating his later achievements as inevitable or reducing either parent to a genetic explanation.
How does Beckham’s wider family fit into his life today?
The family includes siblings from his parents’ later relationships as well as his younger sister Jasmine. His brother Kordell became widely known through Love Island USA. Shared surnames and separate household histories can make simplified online family trees misleading, so specific relationships matter.
Beckham himself became a parent when he and his then-girlfriend Lauren Wood welcomed Zydn in February 2022. That made Van Norman and Beckham Sr. grandparents. Wood and Beckham later separated, while continuing their roles as their son’s parents.
Fatherhood added another dimension to the family story. Beckham has spoken about wanting to make his son proud, and Van Norman has described the joy she sees in him around Zydn. Their comments show a connection that extends beyond game results and professional milestones.
His new stage in Minnesota therefore sits alongside an older, well-documented family history. His mother’s Minnesota track roots, his father’s LSU football career and their son’s own years with the Tigers remain important parts of his background as his NFL career continues.
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